There is no map activity for this chapter. What do you know about the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow? This is a cathedral with a very interesting history. Go to a Russian search engine, such as www.google.ru, and look for images and information about the history of this cathedral: Храм Христа Спасителя (try www.xxc.ru.).

Read the questions below and find the answers in the text.

1. In the period 1917–1953, what was the relationship between creative individuals and the Soviet state?
2. What rights did artists and writers lose in the 1930s?
3. What were the most important artistic trends in Russian literature, art, and architecture in the period from 1934 through Stalin’s death nearly 20 years later?
4. In this period, several important figures in Russian cultural history were arrested, executed, or committed suicide. Who were they and what happened to them?
5. Go back to section 23–2 and review the chronology. Find the events in the chronology that are referenced in the text.

1. What is the author’s attitude toward the events and individuals described in the text? Identify words and phrases that convey implicitly or explicitly the author’s attitude or ideological perspective, bringing evidence from the text to support your argument.
2. Did the information in the text depart from what you had previously read or thought about the period discussed in this chapter?